Reading the Rest of This American Fly
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The American Fly Fisher Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishzng Sampler A photo from the Mary Orvis Marbury panels prepared for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1892: "Equinox Pond, 'The Edge of the Shadows."' Photo by James D. Way, Manchester, Vermont. andwiched between the covers of this summer issue is the best water, he shrouded his favorite place with magic and mys- stuff of a sport and its place in the world. For the reader tery." That magic and mystery come through in Wargin's pho- Snew to thinking about fly-fishing history, here is a taste of tos, selected from the book. what anglers have been going on about, with examples that When a fishing title hits its 350-year mark in the world, we span four centuries. should probably make a note of it. In "Contemplating The A seventeenth-century book by Walt011 and Cotton. The Compleat Angler: A Remarkable Anniversary," special projects World's Columbian Exposition of 1892. A writer's secrecy sur- staffer Sara Wilcox hits a lovely note in her description of "one rounding his fabled favorite water and the sense of place that of the most reprinted works in the English language, trailing comes from intimacy. Homer's artistic representation of the only the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, and John Bunyan's sport. One twenty-first-century philosopher's musings on Pilgrim's Progress." She gives a little background on Isaak today's fly fisher and how sport and angler have evolved in the Walton's book and its editions and printings, noting that it is face of technology and lifestyle. the fifth edition, when Charles Cotton came on board, that is And there are pretty pictures, too. usually reprinted today. This Gallery piece includes photos of In "Mary Orvis Marbury and the Columbian Exposition," some of the editions we have in our collection. It begins on Richard G. Bell offers some general background of that his- page 18. toric Chicago event, then plunges directly into the story of "A Portrait of the New Fly Fisher" is one man's take on a new Mary Orvis Marbury and the Orvis exhibit. The hinged, breed. Gordon M. Wickstrom addresses changesV in the svort wood-framed panels allowed the viewer to flip through exam- over the Iast half century: who's on the water, where they fish, ples of Marbury's flies (her Favorite Flies and Their Histories how much (or how little) time they have, and how technology was published the same year), as well as to take in photograph- and lifestyle changes have affected what's happening on the ic scenes of fishing locations from all over the United States. The stream. His essay can be found on page 21. exhibit is now in the permanent collection of the American Trustee John Mundt returns in the role of book reviewer to Museum of Fly Fishing. Bell's article begins on page 2. give us his take on Robert J. Demarest's Traveling with Winslow This spring, Huron River Press published Voelker's Pond: A Homer: America's Premier Artist/Angler. In preparing this Robert Traver Legacy, by photographer Ed Wargin with essays book, Demarest traveled to the places Homer painted and by James McCullough. For our journal, McCullough has writ- fished, and photographed the same scenes. The review begins ten "Secret, Storied Landscape: John Voelker's Frenchman's on page 23. Pond," which begins on page lo. In it, he provides us with a In April, the Museum presented its 2003 Heritage Award to brief background of the Michigan Supreme Court judge who, writer and publisher Nick Lyons. Coverage of the event with under the pen name Robert Traver, gave us works from photos by Enrico Ferorelli can be found on page 32. Anatomy of a Murder to Anatomy of a Fisherman. Frenchman's Something in the summer sampler should suit your taste. Pond was another pseudonym-this one for Voelker's favorite Fish around a little. It's all good. Upper Peninsula water. McCullough notes that Voelker's con- tributions to the sport contradict the current trends: "Rather than directing and instructing anglers, mapping the way to the American THEAMERICAN MUSEUM OF FLY FISHING Fly Fisher Preserving the Heritage Journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing of Fly Fishing SUMMER 2003 VOLUME 29 NUMBER 3 TRUSTEES E. M. Bakwin Nancy MacKinnon Michael Bakwin Walter T. Matia Mary Orvis Marbury and the Columbian Exposition .... 2 Foster Bam William C. McMaster, M.D. Richard G. Bell Pa~tlelaBates James Mirenda Steven Bcnardete Johll Mundt Secret, Storied Landscape: Paul Bofinger David Nichols John Voelker's Frenchman's Pond ................ lo Duke Buchan 111 Wayne Nordberg Mickey Callanen Michael H. Osborne James McCullough with photos by Ed Wargin Peter Corbin Stephen M. PCC~ Blalte I>rexler Leigh H. Pcrkins Gallery: Contemplating The Compleat Angler: William J. Dreyer Allan K. Poole A Remarkable Anniversary ..................18 Christopher Garcia John Rano Sara Wilcox George R. Gibson 111 Ro~erRiccardi Gardner I.. Grant William Salladin Chris (;rusekc Ernest Schwiebert Notes and Comments: A Portrait of the New Fly Fisher . 21 James Hardman Kobert G. Scott Gordon M. Wickstrom Lynn L. Hitschler James A. Spendiff Arthur Kaemmer, M.D. John Swan Book Review: A Homeric Odyssey ...............23 Woods King 111 Richard G. Tisch John Mundt Karl K. Kuehner 111 David H. Walsh James E. Lutton 111 James C. Woods Contributors ............................ 24 TRUSTEES EMERITI 26 Charles R. Eichel David B. Ledlic Museum News. ........................... G. Dick Finlay Leon L. Martuch 141. Michael Fitzgerald Keith C. Russell Heritage Award .......................... 32 William I-Ierrick Paul Schullery Robert N. Johnson Stephen Sloan ON THE COVER: From the Mary Orvis Marburypanels: "Vermont Trout." OFFICERS Chairman of the Bonrri Robert G. Scott President David H. Walsh Vice I-)reside!?ts Lynn L. Hitschler Tlie Amrrirnri Fly FirIii.r.(ISSN oXXq-ij62) is published Michael B. Osborne four rirncs a year by the Museum .IT PO. Rox 42, hlanchcstcr,\'errnont ojzjq. James A. Syendiff Publication datcs dre wlnler, apnng, qummcr, and fall. i\.lrmbrr\hip dues include the ~o\tof the Treos~~rer James Mirenda jnurnal ($15) and arc tax deductible as pn,vided tirr by I.lw. Membrrahip rates arc listed ~n the back of each asur. Secretary James C. Woods All letters, manuscripts, photographs, and material5 intended for publication in thc journal ahuuld he scnr to the Museum. The Muscum and journal are not rrsponsible for unsolicited manuscripts, drawings, phr>tagraphic STAFF malenal, or memorabilia. The Museum cannot accept rcsponslbility fix rt.itumcnts dnd mtrrpietatinns thar arc ~,hoilythr author's. tinrolic~tedmanu\crlpt\ cannot bc rcrur~icdunleis pmtagc is prav~dcd.Contributions to Tit? Executive Director Gary Tdnner Anirriian Fly Piilwr. arc to bc co~~s~deredgrntuitoils rind thc property of the Muscuni unless otheiwi\e requcstcd Events &Membership Diana Siebold by the contrlhutcrr. Al.ticlcs appc~rnngin thir ji,urnal .ire absrracrcd and indexed in Hi.<toncni Absmrcts and An!cncn: Art Director John Price Histurj arid Life. Copyrighr 0 2003, the Amnicsn Muscum of Ply F~shing,Manchcster, Vermont 05254. Origindl material appearing may nor be reprinted without prior prrmirsion. Periodical postage paid at Special Projects Sara Wilcox Manchester, \'rrmant n5154 and additiondl o(ficrr (IJSPS oii4lo). The. A!nerimrr Fly Fzsher (ISSN 0884-jj6a) Collection Manaxer Yoshi Akiyama EMAIL: [email protected] wrnslrh: www.amff:cnm POSTMASTER: Send addre$\ changes to Tllr A,iir!icnr~Fly F~iliel:PO. Rox 42. Manihr\ter, \~e~.monrujzj4. THE AMERICAN FLY FISHER Editor Kathleen Achor Desiyn & IJroduction John Price Copy Editor Sarah May Clarkson We welcome contributions to The American Fly Fisher. Before making a submission, please review our Contributor's Guidelines on our website (www.amff.com), or write to request a copy. The Museum cannot accept responsibility for statements and interpretations that are wholly the author's. Mary Orvis Marbury and the Columbian Exposition by Richard G. Bell Mary Orvis Marbury. Her father, Charles Orvis the founder of the Orvis Company, said this of her: "In time, one of my family viewed with favor the idea of learning to tiepies." Much of what we regard as important aboutpies today, what we call them and how they are classified, comes directly from Marbury. From the collection of the American Museum of Fly Fishing. Photo and illustration research by Allison Bell of Northampton, Massachusetts HE WORLD'SCOLUMBIAN EXPOSITION was created by an being traversed, explored, staked out for claim or homestead, Act of Congress on 25 April 1890. Section 1 of this and then bypassed by the rolling tide of American expansion. Tenabling act stated as follows: For almost three hundred years, the frontier had been the dominant fact of American history and the dominant theme of Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the its culture. By 1890, the year when the last agonizing spasm of United States of America, in Congress assembled, that an exhibi- tion of arts, industries, manufactures, and products of the soil, the Plains Indian wars flickered and died at Wounded Knee, mine and sea shall be inaugurated in the year 1892, in the City of the frontier was pronounced clo~ed.~We had f~llfilledour Chicago, in the State of Illinois, as hereinafter provided.1 national destiny. We knew, geographically, what we were and how far we extended in every direction, and had inordinate It was short notice for an undertaking of such magnitude. pride in what we had done to make the country. It was time to The Exposition was to mark the four hundredth anniversary of collect its wonders and show them off to the world.